there are already jacket out there that have 40%+ of the weight as down IMO if you are willing to pay full price ... wait to see if this fancy nanotech down water resistant treatment really works and lasts ... now THAT could be a "game changer"

After the water repelency treatment these "water-proof" down jackets weigh very little less than synthetic. I think that's a technology that still needs some time.

I did a lot of homework prior to picking my new UL down. I was really impressed with the Mirage's down to overall weight ratio. However upon trying this jacket on I quickly became uncomfortable with the paper thin shell(Great material for the liner). Given that I would be using this jacket on ice/mixed/alpine routes I envisioned $50 worth of down flying in the breeze with one wrong move. That said I did end up going with a very similar jacket. The RAB Infinity Endurance (Should be arriving today!!) I found it for $280 online & liked the color options a bit more. The RAB's 10D quantum Pertex GL felt a bit more substantial. Hopefully the factory DWR treatment will add to its abrasion resistance. Still gonna have to watch those Sharp points and rough granite though.

Wow! An actual good discussion so far! I wondered about how "fragile" this whole thing would be. 7D sounds pretty light.

I will totally have to check out that Rab Infinity Endurance. Wonder if it's as warm... Backcountry misrepresents it's weight by the way at 7oz. It's actually 17oz according to the Rab site.

Let us know what it's like in the field. I'll probably go check the Mont Bell out at the local Pro Mountain Sports shot soon.

BTW, I also agree in regards to the "dry-down" technology. I believe it hasn't reached prime time - why? Still almost as heavy as synthetic and still very expensive. I think I'll pretty much do either (synthetic or down) exclusively until it becomes more viable.

Your points about the durability is not lost on me... Ice Climbing and fragile jackets can be kinda dangerous ;-)

Dane's review of the Mirage reports 3.5 inches of double-sided loft. If the article's mention of 1.5 inches of loft in the body of the Encapsil is accurate (assuming that means one-sided), then 3 or even 3.5 inches of loft is about the same as the Mirage. That is not the last word on warmth due to the importance of down density and the cut of each jacket, but it's still worth mentioning. The Encapsil looks to be cut a bit longer than the Mirage. The Mirage's lighter 7d face fabric may have something to do with it being able to expand more fully, but who knows?

The hood on the Encapsil looks really nice.

The Encapsil's price includes free high tech cleaning, inspection, and repair forever. They will send you a free shipping label to do that up to twice per year. The cleaning they offer is supposed to ensure the 1000 fill down lasts.

The Mirage's price is supposed to come down to $309 for the coming season. Campsaver and Backcountry Gear already have it at that retail price.

The Encapsil looks awesome, but what I see is a jacket more than twice as expensive, 30-40% heavier, and maybe not much warmer than the Mirage.

What I didn't realize about Encapsil is that it's WATER REPELLENT TREATED. If that stuff works even at all, this 6 oz more jacket has a place - simply because it competes more with a synthetic jacket than the Mirage. I live in the Pacific Northwest, so my down jackets don't get a lot of work - unless it's fairly close to ultra dry.

I've been using the Rab Infinity jacket for two years now and it still looks as if I walked out of the shop with it yesterday, which frankly is damned impressive. It has been used for absolutely everything from walking to the pub to Scottish winter climbing to rolling around on top/bottom of crags whilst photographing bouldering/trad stuff. The Pertex outer is significantly more durable than it first appears.

I'm a skinny guy and feel the cold BADLY but the Infinity keeps me toasty warm when standing around in freezing temps easily. It's my go-to piece during the winter.

I can't speak for the Mirage at all but big thumbs up for the Infinity!